Algeria mourns after 42 killed, 72 injured in bus accident

Bus accident in Algeria kills 42, injures 72

Saturday, August 12, 2023 — ALGIERS, Algeria — At least 42 people were killed and 72 others injured when a bus collided with a truck in eastern Algeria on Saturday, the civil protection agency said. The accident happened on a highway near the town of Ain Beida, about 100 kilometers (62 miles) southeast of Constantine, the agency said in a statement.

The bus was carrying passengers from Constantine to the southern city of Ouargla, the agency said.

The cause of the accident is under investigation, the agency said. President Abdelmadjid Tebboune declared a three-day mourning period and ordered an investigation into the accident, the presidency said in a statement. Prime Minister Aymen Benabderrahmane visited the injured in the hospital and expressed his condolences to the victims' families, the statement said.

Road accidents are common in Algeria, where the roads are often in poor condition and drivers frequently ignore traffic laws. In 2021, there were more than 3,000 road accidents in Algeria, resulting in more than 3,500 deaths, according to the National Center for Road Safety.

Authorities are urging drivers to be more careful and to respect traffic laws.

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